NHRC inactive for four months

Four months have passed since the National Human Rights Commission became inactive, depriving the victims of human rights violations of services.

Human rights activists say that human rights violations have become widespread in different parts of the country. At this time, human rights issues need to be raised strongly. However, the National Human Rights Commission has now been kept inactive.

The commission, formed during the Awami League government after the fall of the student-mass uprising on 5 August last year, survived till November. On 7 November, some officials of a government intelligence agency went to the commission’s office in Karwan Bazar. They spent the whole day at the office. In the evening, the then chairman Kamal Uddin Ahmed, full-time member Md Selim Reza and four other members Biswajit Chanda, Professor Tania Haque, Aminul Islam and Kangjuri Chowdhury resigned. Another member Kawsar Ahmed had resigned earlier.

Sayeed Ahmed, a member of the Bangladesh Bureau of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a South Asian human rights activist organisation, told Prothom Alo that it is disappointing that the NHRC has not been reconstituted in four months. This gives an impression that the current interim government does not consider the commission important.
However, Law Adviser professor Asif Nazrul said initiative to reconstitute the NHRC has been taken.

“We want to make the appointment after changing the commission’s law. The judiciary reform commission has some recommendations here. We want to make a good appointment upon scrutinising the proposals. I hope it can be done within a month,” Asif Nazrul said.

According to The National Human Rights Commission Act-2009, the rights body is composed of a chairman, a permanent member and five honorary members.  The commission does not have any jurisdiction to mete out punishment. It can raise its voice in any human rights violation and make recommendations. However, the commission was not seen as vocal against human rights violations including extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance. The commission was decried by rights activists for this inaction.

Restructuring of the commission this time faced legal obstacles. A selection committee chaired by the speaker of national parliament is supposed to make recommendations on the appointment of the chairman and members. The seven-member selection committee also consists of two members of parliament. But now there is no parliament functioning in the country and the speaker has resigned. Under these circumstances, the National Human Rights Commission law was amended on 20 November, making for the selection committee to nominate members in absence of the speaker.

Victims of human rights violations are not getting service from NHRC.

Romena Khatun is one of them. She is a teacher of Kazipur Secondary School in Jashore Sadar upazila. She resorted to the commission on allegations of being sacked illegally from the school.  With the help of the commission, she was reinstated in the job in 2010. She again approached the NHRC after not receiving full salary. On 6 March, she was found at the commission's office in Karwan Bazar in the capital. Although she got the job back last time, she is skeptical about whether she will get a fair salary this time.

NHRC first scrutinises a complaint it receives. The complaints are raised in three benches of the commission. Bench No. 1 is headed by the chairman and Bench No. 2 is headed by a full-time member. There is another bench, where attempts are made to reach a compromise between the plaintiff and the defendant. That too is headed by a member. Now, since the commission has no chairman, full-time member and members, not a single bench is functional.

NHRC Assistant Director (Complaints and Investigation) Muzaffar Hossain said, "We are just filing the complaints now. There is nothing else to do. In fact, no work can be done as long as the commission is not here.”
 

Human rights issues are now discussed due to harassment, violence against women and mob beating in the name of ‘mob justice’.

According to human rights organisation Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF), a total of 121 people were killed in mob beating between August last year and January this year. Ain O Shalish Kendra said the last year saw highest number of death in mob lynching last five years.
Not only were general people victims of these human rights violations, policemen also came under attack by the mob. Extrajudicial killings also continue, as MSF said three died in ‘encounter’ during raids of law enforcers in February.

The NHRC does not say anything about these grave human rights violations. Several rights activists on condition of anonymity alleged that the delay to restructure the NHRC is linked to condoning these rights violations.

Human rights activist Abu Ahmed Faizul Kabir told Prothom Alo, “It is unwarranted that the Human Rights Commission has been ineffective for so long. Many incidents of human rights violations are taking place but the commission is unable to play any role. This is unfortunate.”